Vacuum-cleaner



,W. C. JOHNSTON.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1920.

1,392,874., Patented Oct. 4, 1921* 3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR.

WMZJM W/MJA/ A TTORNEYS.

W. C. JOHNSTON.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED suuz 14, 1920.

1,392,874, Patented 00114, 1921 3 SHE ETS-SHE ET 2- ATTORNEYS.

W C. JOHNSTON. VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1920.

L 2. 93 IT E IE 4% L 0T OH M t n e t a D1 VACUUM-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4, 19211.

Application filed June 14, 1920. Serial No. 388,943.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. JOHN- s'roN, a citizen of Canada, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vacuum-Cleaners,

of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vacuum cleaners more particularly adapted for household use.

'It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a vacuum cleaner having rotary brushes independently operated by the movement of the cleaner over the surface being cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner having means for adjusting the nozzle of the cleaner closer to or farther from the surface being cleaned without disconnecting any of the parts and without removing the cleaner from the surface being cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner having a pair of brushes which may easily be adjusted toward or away from the surface being cleaned, and may be independently removed or replaced.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner having a sack or dust collector of rectangular shape to form a large unobstructed air and dust inlet mouth which may be easily removably at tached to the fan casing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner having means for easily and directly removably connecting suction cleaner attachments directly to the fan casing and thus eliminate the use of the brush casing when using the attachment.

' A further object of the invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner which is of simple construction, is strong and durable and is well adapted for the purpose desired.

With the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists of the improved vacuum cleaner and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof. I

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved vacuum cleaner, a part being shown in sec- 131011 and the handle being broken away;

F 1g. 2 is a fragmentary view of the opposite side of the casing;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional detail view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. is a bottom view of the cleaner, a part bemg in section;

Fig. 5 1s a fragmentary detail view on a larger scale of the discharge opening por- U011. of the fan casing;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the front portion of the machine taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view of the suction nozzle taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view showing manner of connecting an attachment to the fan chamber.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 lndicates the improved vacuum cleaner and comprises the cleaner casing 11, the fan casing 12 the electric motor 13 and the dust receiving bag 14. The motor is of the horizontal type and is connected directly to the fan casing, which is positioned in front of the motor to form a direct drive connection with the fan 15. The cleaner casing 11 is of elongated rectangular form and extends transversely of the axis of the motor and is partitioned to form a brush'chamber 16, a nozzle or mouth 16, wheel chambers 17 and a closed space 18. The nozzle extends across the front portion of the casing and the wheel chambers are positioned at the opposite ends of the nozzle and the closed space, and extend at right angles thereto. A neck portion 18 extends upwardly medially from the cleaner casing and is connected to the central portion of the fan casing and forms the suction opening of the fan. The end walls 19 and the center partition 20 of the nozzle are slotted vertically to form bearing guides-21 in which are slidably positioned grooved bearing blocks 22. Right and left threaded adjusting screws 23 threaded through the upper portion of the cleaner casing 11 and into the bearing blocks permit the convenient vertical adjustment of the blocks. The two outer blocks are of the ball bearing type and carry short shafts 24 having sockets 24 in their inner ends and the V f manner desired.

inner block carries two horizontally slidable bearings havin an interposed spring 26 for yieldingly ho ding them in their outer position. Said bearings 25 are formed with ,conical bearing recesses 25 for receiving the inner conical ends of brush shafts 27, the outer ends of said shafts being bifurcated and removably extending into the sockets 24' of the short shafts 24. The socketed portions 24' of the short shafts are provided with transverse ins 28 which are engaged by the 'bifurcate ends of the brush shafts to rotatively lock the brush shafts to the short shafts. As thus constructed it is only necessary to push either brush shaft endwise toward the other to disengage the bifurcated end from the socket and the shaft may then be bodily removed from the casing. The

outer end portions of the short shafts extend into the wheel chambers and are provlded with grooved pulleys 29 which are connected "to grooved driving wheels 30 journaled in the wheel chambers a short distance to the rear of the pulleys by belts 31. Said driving wheels 30 extend a slight distance below the lower edge of the cleaner casing and support the cleaner casing a slight distance above the surface being cleaned, and when the cleaner is pushed over the surface the drivin wheels will be rotated and drive the pn eye and the brush shafts. The brush shafts are provided with bristles or tufts 27' for brushing the surface being cleaned.

' The opening 32 connects the neck space to the fan chamber and provides the necessaryl suction in the brush space or nozzle for wit drawing the dust from the surface being cleaned. The top portion of the cleaner casing is also provided with an opening 34 for the insertion of an attachment 35 which enters through said opening and extends into the opening 32 when it is desired to use suction attachments of various kinds. I A

cover 34' closes the opening when the attachments are not in use. I

The outlet portion 36 of the fan is provided with a shouldered lug 37 anda hinged bolt 38 having a thumb nut 38' threaded thereon. The mouth of the dust receiving bag 14 is provided with a flanged ring 39 one side of which en ages the shouldered -lug 37, andits other side is formed with a recess 39 which is entered by the hinged bolt 38 to permit the easy attachment and.

removal of the bag. The upper portion of the bag-.(not shown) may be connected to and supported from the handle 39 in any The lower end portion of the handle 39 1s bifurcated and straddles the motor and "is pivotally connected ,to the opposite sides thereof by bolts 40. one side of {the motor'a plate 41 is n iounted which is pro-' vided with a segmental slot 42 concentric with relatlon to the pivot bolts and a left threaded thumb bolt threade wheels journaled in the wheel cham and having a thumb nut threaded thereon permits the handle to be adjustably clamped in any posltion desired.

The electric wires 44 for sup lying current to the motor extendfrom t e motor to a grooved portion 45 of the handle and from the handle to a source of current supply.

A U-shaped supporting member 4615 pcsitioned beneath the motor and its two forward ends are pivotally connected to trunnions 47 projecting outwardly from opposite sides of the motor casing. Supporting rollers 48 journaled on outer opposite, sides of the member 46 medially of its length rest upon the surface traveled over and support the rear portion of the cleaner.

In order to tilt the nozzle of the sweeper toward or away from the surface being cleaned the outer rear end portions of the member 46 and the motor are provided with projecting ears 49 for receiving a ri lit and 7 therethrough. As the motor is adjusted further from the member '46, the nozzle will be tilted downwardly and closer to the surface being cleaned so that the desired adjustment may be easlly and quickly obtained. 9.

rom the foregoing descriptlon it will be seen that the vacuum cleaner'is of v'er' simple construction and is well adapted or the pur ose desired. I

hat I claim as my inventionis:

l. Avacuum-cleaner in part,comprising site ends of the nozzle, bearing block vertically slidably positioned in the en portions and a medial portion of the brush chamber, right and left handed threadedscrews threaded through the up or wall of the brush chamber and into t cheering blocks, short shafts journaled in. the end blocks and havin sockets on, their inner ends and groove ends, horizontally s id'able bearings mounted in the opposite side portions of the medial bearing block, a coiled .s ring finterposed between the slidable bearmgs, brushes within the brush chamber and having their shaft ends removably extending into the medialbearings and into the socketed ends of the short shafts, grooved su portin I isan havmg pulleys.

. 2. A vacuum cleaner, comprising a cleaner casing having a brush chamber and a nozzle and wheel chambers at opposite ends of the nozzle, bearing blocks vertically slidulleys on their outer belted connections with the grooved slidable bearings yieldingly mounted in the opposite side portions of the medial bearing block, brushes within the brush chamber and having their inner shaft ends -removably journaled in the horizontally slidablebearings and their outer shaft ends engaging the short shafts, and supporting wheels {ournaled in the wheel chambers and driving y engaging. the short shaft wheels.

3. A vacuum cleaner, comprising a cleaner casing having a brush chamber and a nozzle and wheel chambers at opposite ends of the nozzle, bearing blocks vertically slid ably positioned in the end portions and medial portion of the brush chamber, means extending outside of the casin for adjusting the bearing blocks vertically, short shafts journaled in the end blocks and having sockets at their inner ends provided with transverse pins and having grooved.

ends removably journaled in the medial bearings andtheir outer shaft ends formed with transverse recesses which engage the transverse pins of the short shafts and are rotated thereby, and grooved supporting wheels journaled in the wheel chambers and having belted connection with the grooved pulleys.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM G. JOHNSTON. 

